


Catch A Tiger By the Toe

by Darth_Claire



Series: The Dangers of Social Media [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Eventual Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky, F/F, M/M, Making Out, Male Homosexuality, POV Otabek Altin, Tall Yuri Plisetsky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-12 16:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19949212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darth_Claire/pseuds/Darth_Claire
Summary: After the Grand Prix, Otabek hopes to tell Yuri how he feels, but with Yuri's meddlesome teammates hanging around, it won't be easy.This is a companion story to Drunk, Naked and riding a Zamboni.  Please read that first.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a companion story to my fic Drunk, Naked and Riding a Zamboni. Please read that first!
> 
> Comments appreciated!

Catch a Tiger by the Toe 

Otabek yawned, shifting in the hard airport seat. He had barely slept the last two nights. He was looking forward to getting back to his apartment and crawling into bed for a week. He checked the board to see how much longer they had before boarding. The time on the display suddenly switched and an announcement came on. 

“Attention passengers on Flight 893 to Frankfurt. Our flight will now be departing at 1:50. We apologize for the delay.”

His junior teammate Kairat sighed, collapsing dramatically over the arm of his seat. “I’m bored! We’ve been here for hours!”

Their coach patted his arm and took out her phone to check something. “I’ll watch the bags if you two want to stretch your legs. Just don’t leave the concourse and be back before boarding.” 

Kairat jumped up and dashed off toward the snack shop. 

“Kairat, only one bar of chocolate please!”

“I’m going to get a cup of coffee,” Otabek said. His coach just nodded.

He wandered down the concourse to the coffee shop, then went to check the departure list. Yuri’s gate was at the end of the concourse and didn’t leave for an hour. He had barely seen Yuri during the competition and their time together had been cut short when they had accidentally posted a nude photo of Viktor and Yuuri to Instagram. Yuri had called to fill him in this morning and the earful he had gotten paled in comparison to the tongue lashing Yakov had doled out. He had already apologized, but he should be there with Yuri while he had the chance. 

As he headed toward the gate, he heard Yakov’s gruff voice carry through the concourse. He couldn’t make out what the man was saying, but he seemed to be yelling at Viktor. He spotted the rest of the Russian team and Yuuri seated on the next row, trying not to draw attention to themselves.

“Did Otabek get in trouble?” he heard Yuuri ask.

Yuri huffed. “His coach said she can’t really tell him to stop talking to me but she thinks I’m a ‘bad influence’ and he needs to rethink his choice of friends.”

Otabek smiled. “I thought about it. I still like you.”

Yuri nodded casually but a faint red glow spread across his cheeks. “What are you doing here? I thought you were gone already.”

“My flight’s delayed. I figured I’d come take my share of the punishment.”

“He’s done with us,” Yuri assured him. “He’s been lecturing Viktor since breakfast and I think he’s about to lose his voice.”

“We board in an hour,” Yuuri said. “Have a seat.”

Otabek nodded and took the empty seat beside Yuri. Yuri yawned and draped his arm over Otabek’s shoulder. Surprised, he felt his shoulders tense up. When no one said anything, he let himself lean into Yuri’s embrace, breathing in the scent of his cologne.

“And stop giving everyone in the rink your passcode!” Yakov roared.

Otabek risked a glance at Viktor. His hair was disheveled and he was hunched just slightly. He looked exhausted. Otabek felt a twinge of guilt. 

“Yakov,” Lillia snapped. “Calm down before you give yourself a heart attack. Let’s get a drink and let Viktor have a break. You’ve been yelling at him since before breakfast.”

“We’ll finish this later,” Yakov promised, following her to the bar. 

Viktor hurried over to them and fell into the seat beside Yuuri, draping himself across Yuuri’s lap. “Yuuri, hold me.”

Yuuri stroked Viktor’s hair. “Don’t worry, he’ll yell himself hoarse soon enough.”

“On second thought I’ll come visit you in Almaty,” Yuri muttered. “It’s not fair that Katsudon gets off the hook.”

Otabek felt a flutter in his chest at the thought of Yuri visiting. He knew Yuri wasn’t serious about coming so soon, but talking about it made everything seem more real. He reached up and laced his fingers with Yuri’s. Yuri Plisetsky was actually his boyfriend. Even yesterday’s scandal couldn’t ruin that for him.

Yakov’s voice jolted him out of his thoughts. “I’ll have that idiot cleaning out the locker rooms for a month.”

Yuuri looked at his ticket. “What seat is Yakov in?”

“He’s a row behind us,” Viktor sighed. “I wonder if there’s a free seat in first class.”

As he stood to go to the counter, Yuuri grabbed his arm. “If you leave me in coach with him, you’re sleeping on the couch until Worlds.”

Viktor kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see if they have two.”

“You’re leaving me there with him?” Yuri grumbled. “You guys suck.”

Otabek squeezed his hand and took out his phone. “I’m still working on this, but I’ll go ahead and send you what I have.” He pulled up the playlist he had been working on and sent it to Yuri. 

Yuri looked through the songs. “I don’t know a lot of these. What’s the theme?”

“They’re all love songs,” Otabek said shyly.

“That’s so cute!” Mila cooed. 

Viktor’s return spared them any further teasing. “They didn’t have anything available for the flight to Munich, but I upgraded us for the flight to St. Petersburg.”

“Well it’s only an hour,” Yuuri consoled him. “Maybe Lillia will get him drunk before we take off.”

“Eh, he’s kind of a loud drunk,” Viktor said. 

“Again, I’m really sorry about all this.” Otabek said. 

Yuuri nodded. “It was an accident. And it was just as much our fault.” 

“I think you at least owe us an explanation,” Viktor probed. “We never got the full story with you two.”

Otabek sipped his coffee. He was a private person and didn’t like to gossip about his personal life, but Viktor was right, he did owe them an explanation. He took a deep breath. “Well, it all started at the banquet.”

* * *

Otabek stood in the corner staring at his drink as the other skaters milled about the room. He had hoped to run into Yuri but he still hadn’t arrived. Everything at this competition had been so rushed that he had barely had a chance to see Yuri, let alone talk to him. 

The flight from St. Petersburg had been delayed so the Russian team had arrived a day late. Yuri had sent him a quick text to let him know that Yakov had ordered them all to rest that evening. Otabek had hoped to catch up with Yuri during the warm up, but he had seemed so focused on his skating that Otabek didn’t want to disrupt him. 

He had planned to find Yuri after the short program, but a fall on Yuri’s final jump had sent him to the hospital with a suspected concussion. They had run into each other briefly at breakfast before the free skate, but after finishing 5th in the short program, Otabek had been too nervous to say more than good morning. 

He had planned to wait for Yuri after the free skate, but Yuri came off the ice in tears after a dismal performance and was immediately ushered out of the arena by Lillia before the scores were even announced. Otabek thought about going by his room to check on him, but he felt oddly guilty about placing third while Yuri came in last. He had heard nothing from Yuri since then, not even a text. He guessed that Yuri’s pride was probably hurt. He would get over it, but it might be wise to give him some space.

Otabek snapped his head up as a hand grabbed his. His breath caught in his throat as he found himself staring up into Yuri’s fierce green eyes. 

“There you are! Let’s get out of here.”

Otabek let Yuri lead him out of the banquet hall. Yuri slowed down as they headed outside but kept his grip on Otabek’s hand. Otabek cleared his throat.

“Yuri?”

“What?”

“You’re still holding my hand.”

Yuri let go and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Um, do you want to go get a cup of coffee?”

“Are you just skipping out on the banquet?”

“Yeah, Viktor and piggy were already drunk when they showed up. I don’t really want to see Yuuri’s ass again. And I haven’t seen you since I got here.”

Despite the cold, Otabek felt his cheeks flush. “Coffee sounds great.”

They hailed a cab and went downtown. They walked through the streets in silence looking for a cafe. Otabek was stunned by how much Yuri had grown up since last year. Otabek wasn’t tall, but Yuri was at least five centimeters taller than him now. His hair was longer and his shoulders were slightly broader. He had changed so much, but those fierce green eyes were still the same.

“Did I do something to piss you off?” Yuri asked suddenly.

“What?” 

“You’ve barely spoken to me since we got here. The other day at breakfast you kind of gave me the brush off.”

“No, I was just nervous,” Otabek explained. He ran a hand through his hair. “I thought you were upset with me for placing.”

“What?” Yuri cried. “You deserved it! I’m surprised I even qualified this year! Why would I be upset?”

Otabek shrugged. “You ran off after you finished your free skate.”

“I didn’t run off. Lillia made me go back to my room and lie down.”

“You weren’t at the Gala either,” Otabek said, failing to keep the hurt out of his voice. “I looked for you. You didn’t even text me.”

Yuri shoved his hands deeper in his pockets. “I wanted to be there but I had a headache so Lillia made me stay in the room. She took away my cell phone so I couldn’t even watch it. I finally got it back before the banquet and you hadn’t texted me either.”

Otabek looked sheepishly at the ground. All of this was just a foolish miscommunication. “Sorry, I guess I was being a bit of a coward. How’s your head?”

“Its fine! They were just being overprotective,” Yuri griped.

“Well I’m glad you’re ok.” Ahead Otabek spotted the cafe. “Right here, I went to this place a few days ago. It’s nice and quiet.”

They settled into a secluded booth in the back of the cafe and ordered some coffee. They quickly fell back into their old rhythm. After a few minutes it was like they had never been separated. The easy chemistry between them was comforting. He had missed Yuri more than he realized.

“So what did you do for your exhibition?” Yuri asked.

Otabek took out his phone. “There’s a video on YouTube if you’d like to see it.”

“Of course!” Yuri moved to sit beside him. “I wish I could have seen it live.”

“I wish you could have been part of it,” Otabek said wistfully. Yuri looked at him with a strange expression. “Like yours last year,” Otabek added. “I think we could have done something to top it if we’d had a chance to collaborate.”

Yuri smiled. “Well there’s still Worlds.”

Otabek felt a flutter in his stomach as he handed Yuri one of the earbuds. He leaned in to watch. Otabek tried to focus on the video but Yuri was so close. 

Yuri had quickly become his closest friend, but recently his feelings had started to change. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, and he certainly hadn’t felt that way when they met, but there had been an undeniable attraction. As they had gotten to know each other the last year he found himself daydreaming at practice, texting Yuri at all hours for no reason. He looked forward to any chance to talk on the phone and hear Yuri’s voice. He had tried to deny it but there was only one explanation. 

It had been a random moment at the beginning of the season when he realized how he felt. Watching Yuri at Skate America, he had a sense of nervous excitement. It wasn’t until the kiss and cry when Yuri started crying at the score that would land him in a disappointing third that Otabek knew. He wanted to be there holding Yuri. Of course he wanted to console his friend but he didn’t want to be there as a friend. He was in love with Yuri Plisetsky.

“That was incredible,” Yuri said when the video finished. He handed the earbud back to Otabek with a grin. Otabek felt a small ache in his chest.

“I wanted to do something more exciting but everything I came up with needed a second person.”

Yuri smirked. “Place at Worlds and we’ll come up with something that will blow piggy and Viktor off the ice.”

Yuri moved back to his seat across the table. Otabek was relieved. It was difficult to concentrate with Yuri beside him. They talked as they finished their coffee. Even though they texted almost daily, he enjoyed hearing Yuri’s voice. It was slightly deeper now, but it still captivated him. Yuri ran a hand through his bangs. His hair was longer, falling just past his shoulders. He had pulled it back in a braid on one side.

“Do you want to take a walk?” Yuri asked.

“That sounds nice,” Otabek said.

They headed out into the cold. Otabek shivered as a gust of wind blew through the streets. “We should have grabbed our coats.” 

Yuri took off his scarf and handed it to him. “Take it. I’m not cold.”

“Thank you.” Otabek wrapped it around his neck. It smelled like the cologne he had given Yuri for his birthday. “I missed you.” 

He heard Yuri’s breath catch. “I missed you too,” he mumbled.

Otabek smiled behind the scarf. He had been afraid Yuri might laugh at him for that, especially since they talked almost every day. It gave him the courage to say his next words.

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while-”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Yuri screamed.

Otabek felt his stomach drop into his feet. Had he made a mistake? He tried to think of how to apologize until he realized that Yuri’s outburst wasn’t directed at him.

“I swear I’m going to murder them,” Yuri snarled, stalking off toward a bench where Viktor and Yuuri were making out. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Yurio!” Viktor cried. “Have you had a crepe? They’re delicious!”

Yuuri gasped, tapping Viktor on his bare chest. “You know what would be great? A Katsudon crepe!”

Yuri took out his phone. “You two are wasted. I’m calling Yakov!”

Viktor rushed forward and grabbed the phone. “Noooo, we’re having fun!” he pleaded. “Come on Yura, don’t be a killjoy!”

“Let’s go to a club!” Yuuri said excitedly.

“You need to go to bed!” Otabek insisted.

Viktor wrapped Yuri in a sloppy hug. “We’ll sneak you in!”

“No! We’re taking you back to the hotel!” Otabek said firmly. 

“There’s no arguing with them when they’re like this,” Yuri said, detangling himself from Viktor’s arms. “Let’s just drop them off in front of the nearest club and go get a crepe.”

Otabek looked at Yuuri and Viktor who were half dancing, half making out. “I don’t think we should leave them alone.” 

“Well, what’s your plan?” Yuri asked. “I don’t suppose you know any clubs I can get into.”

Otabek thought for a moment. “I might know one, but I’m not buying you alcohol.”

Yuri grimaced as he watched his rink mates grind on each other. “I’m ok with that.”

Otabek turned to Yuuri and Viktor. “Ok, we’ll go to the club for one hour and then you two have to go back to the hotel.” 

Yuuri and Viktor sprang forward and trapped him in a tight hug. Yuri mouthed an apology and ran to hail a cab. Otabek sighed. His talk with Yuri would have to wait.

* * *

They arrived at the club and Otabek gave his name to the bouncer. The burly man looked them up and down suspiciously but let them in. Viktor and Yuuri ran to the dance floor while Otabek and Yuri went to get a drink.

“What do you want?” Otabek shouted.

“What?” he barely heard Yuri say over the music.

He grabbed a menu off the bar and handed it to him. Yuri shrugged and Otabek realized he probably didn’t speak French either. He scanned the menu for any familiar words. A drink with San Pellegrino and Grenadine stood out to him. He gestured to the bartender that he wanted two. While they waited, the song changed to something slightly softer.

“I like what you’re doing with your hair,” Otabek yelled.

“What?”

“I like-” Otabek gave up on trying to be heard and waved a hand around his head. Yuri looked at him, still not understanding. Swallowing nervously, he reached out and touched the ends of Yuri’s golden locks and gave him a thumbs up. 

Yuri smiled, curling his hair around his finger.

The bartender set their drinks down. Otabek sipped his, still stunned by how soft Yuri’s hair was. Yuri was so beautiful it made his heart ache. He had promised himself that he would talk to Yuri at the Final. He had no idea how Yuri felt but it seemed dishonest to keep acting as though nothing had changed. Whatever happened, he needed to know where they stood.

Yuri tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to an empty booth in the corner of the club away from the dance floor. Otabek followed him. It was a bit quieter, not much, but enough that they might be able to talk. They sat down and Yuri leaned in close. 

“How do you know about this place?” he asked. “Doesn’t seem like your type of music.”

“I know the manager,” Otabek admitted shyly. “He’s a fan.” 

“DJing or skating?”

“Skating. He was at the Internationaux de France this year. He recognized me in the hotel and asked me for an autograph. We ended up talking about music and he said I should come by when I was in Marseille. Not really my scene, but it was the only place I could be sure I’d be able to get you in.”

Yuri shrugged. “It’s not awful.”

They sat back to listen to the music. It wasn’t bad. The DJ knew what he was doing. The beat was electric and the crowd on the dance floor was enjoying it. Otabek looked for Viktor and Yuuri. A small circle had formed around them. He couldn’t see exactly what was going on, but he was sure they were putting on a show.

“So what were you saying?” Yuri asked.

“Huh?”

“Before we ran into those idiots you were going to say something.”

“Oh, right.” Otabek took a sip of his drink. “Well, I just wanted to tell you that I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you over the last year. There aren’t many people who I feel like I connect with.”

Yuri glanced at the dance floor. “I know what you mean.”

“Your friendship means a lot to me and I don’t-”

A sudden cry rang out from the dance floor. Otabek looked over and saw flames.

“I’m going to kill them,” Yuri growled.

They rushed over to see Viktor holding a flaming piece of cloth and the bouncer heading toward them. Yuuri was missing his shirt. They hurried to the door as Viktor and Yuuri were escorted out of the club. They were already heading down the street when Otabek and Yuri made it outside. Otabek ran after Viktor while Yuri chased down Yuuri.

“Time to go back to the hotel!” Otabek said firmly, keeping a tight grip on Viktor’s arm.

“You said an hour!” he protested.

“You started a fire!” Yuri exclaimed, dragging Yuuri over to where they were waiting.

Otabek stepped to the curb to hail a cab. Yuuri broke free and ran down the street. Victor tried to follow him but Otabek kept a firm grip on his arm. 

”Get back here you drunk!” Yuri cried. 

He picked Yuuri up and threw him over his shoulder. Yuuri squirmed, trying to wriggle out of his grip. Fortunately a cab stopped. Yuri opened the door and threw Yuuri in it. Viktor jumped in after him, planting himself in Yuuri’s lap. Otabek and Yuri got in beside them. Otabek gave the driver the address and settled back. 

* * *

They arrived at the hotel. Yuuri and Viktor immediately jumped out and hopped on a luggage cart. Otabek went after them while Yuri paid the driver.

“Mind if we borrow that for a minute?” Otabek asked the valet.

He nodded. 

“Ok you two sit down and we’ll wheel you upstairs,” Otabek told them.

Yuuri knelt down, holding his arms out to the side. “Viktor, Titanic!”

“I’m king of the world!” Viktor cried, kneeling behind him. 

Yuri and Otabek pushed the cart to the elevator. As they waited, Viktor started to kiss the back of Yuuri’s neck, his hands groping Yuuri’s chest. Otabek looked at Yuri but his eyes were firmly fixed on the floor counter. The doors finally opened and they pushed the cart inside. Yuri pressed the button furiously in a vain attempt to speed it up.

It was a short ride but by the time they reached their floor Viktor was groping Yuuri’s ass. They pushed the cart quickly down the hall to Yuuri and Viktor’s room asViktor reached to undo Yuuri’s pants. Yuri tipped the cart to the side, sending them tumbling onto the floor.

“Go do that in your room!” he yelled.

Yuuri and Viktor hurried to their room, slamming the door behind them.

Yuri sighed. “I’m sorry about them.”

Otabek chuckled. “I’m sure we’ll laugh about it next year.”

“Yeah, well right now I want to sit down somewhere without any horny drunks.”

Otabek checked his watch. “The restaurant should still be open. I could go for a snack.”

They headed to the restaurant and ordered a sandwich and some tea. They chatted more about music and skating. Yuri already had some interesting ideas for next year that Otabek was excited to see.

“So what were you trying to say earlier?” Yuri asked suddenly. “I feel like we kept getting interrupted.”

Otabek’s throat was suddenly dry. It was now or never. He took a sip of his drink and cleared his throat.

“Yura!” 

Otabek buried his head in his hands as Yuri’s rinkmate Mila headed toward them. She was with Sara Crispino. Yuri grabbed Otabek’s hand and they ran through the lobby. They ran through the elevator doors just before they slid closed. Seung-gil gave them an annoyed glance and stepped to the side. Otabek calmly pushed a button. They rode in silence. The doors opened and Seung-gil got off, leaving them alone. 

“Is there any place in this city that’s not filled with idiots?” Yuri asked.

Otabek looked at the directory beside the elevator buttons. “What about the pool?”

“Oh yeah,” Yuri said.

They hurried up to the pool and slipped inside. It was deserted. It wasn’t quite the way he had imagined, but the lights reflecting off the still water cast a romantic glow. It reminded him of the ice. They sat down on the edge, staring at the lights of the city.

“Sorry about my teammates,” Yuri muttered. “I know they’re annoying.”

“It’s fine,” Otabek said. “I think they care about you, even if they have a weird way of showing it.”

“Yeah, but I see them all the time!” Yuri complained. “I haven’t seen you since this summer and we didn’t get any of the same qualifiers. I know we text and FaceTime, but it’s not the same. You’re the only one I can really talk to about things.” 

“Even so, I’m kind of jealous. You all seem pretty close. The others skaters I train with all keep to themselves.”

“Yeah, but they still treat me like I’m some bratty little kid. Even if I want to talk about something serious, they’re all so focused on their own skating. You’re the only one who actually listens to me.”

Otabek leaned over and swirled his finger in the water, contemplating Yuri’s words as he watched the ripples spread out across the surface. He kept losing his nerve every time they were interrupted, but their relationship was so much deeper than any friendship he had had before. He had shared things with Yuri that he never told another living soul. He had to trust that their friendship was strong enough to survive if Yuri didn’t return his feelings.

“Yuri, there’s something I’ve been meaning to-”

“Awww, I was hoping it would be empty!”

Otabek clenched his teeth as he turned to see Yuuri and Viktor behind them.

“It can be,” he said coldly. “Let’s get out of here, Yuri.”

Yuri shook his head, glaring bitterly at Yuuri and Viktor. “If we leave them alone they’re going to drown.” 

“Oh wait, this is perfect!” Yuuri exclaimed. “You can film us!”

Otabek gulped. “Film you?”

Viktor handed his phone to Otabek. He and Yuuri tossed their robes aside and jumped naked into the hot tub. They started groping each other as though they had forgotten that Yuri and Otabek were there.

Otabek swiped to the phone and took a picture.

“Are you actually going to film this?” Yuri balked.

“No,” Otabek said, snapping another picture as Yuuri slipped his hand between Viktor’s legs, “but they won’t remember this tomorrow so we need some proof.”

“Yeah, good idea,” Yuri agreed. “Let’s take a selfie to prove we were here. Piggy is going to die of embarrassment when he sees this.”

* * *

Yuuri groaned, burying his face in his knees. “I’m so sorry about that.”

“I’m sorry too,” Otabek said. “That’s not the sort of thing I usually do and it was a bad idea.”

“Maybe you are a bad influence,” Mila teased, pinching Yuri’s cheek.

“So what happened next?” Viktor asked.

“Nothing!” Yuri snapped.

“That can’t be true,” Mila said. “You left that banquet single and came down to breakfast with a boyfriend. Something must have happened.”

Otabek squeezed Yuri’s hand nervously. He was hesitant to share the next part, but he had the feeling it would come out eventually.

“After the pool, we took you two back to your room, but we stayed up a bit longer.”

* * *

Yuri slumped against the door to Viktor and Yuuri’s room, sinking down to the floor. “I’m kind of afraid to leave in case they sneak out again.”

“It might not be a bad idea to watch them for a bit,” Otabek agreed.

“I hate them so much,” Yuri moaned.

Viktor’s phone poked into Otabek’s hip as he sat down beside Yuri. “I guess I should put this in the room.”

“Or just destroy it so we can forget this ever happened.”

Otabek tapped his thumb on the screen. “Hey, do you know the passcode?”

“291192,” Yuri muttered. “Everyone knows it, it’s Piggy’s birthday. He’s always one lost phone away from a sex scandal.”

Otabek flipped through some of the photos. Like most skaters, he looked up to Viktor as a competitor, but he had spent the last year listening to Yuri complain about Viktor’s thoughtless behavior. 

“What do you say we teach them a lesson?”

Yuri raised an eyebrow. “How?”

“Well, I bet they'd get pretty worried if they thought someone stole this,” Otabek mused.

Yuri frowned uncertainly. “I’m pissed at them but I don’t want to get them in trouble.”

“We won’t actually post anything,” Otabek clarified. He scrolled through the photos. “Well maybe a few of the tamer ones, but running around the city all day should make them think twice.”

Yuri rolled his eyes. “Viktor doesn’t usually think once.” He pressed his ear to the door. “I think they’re down. I need some sleep if we’re going to do this.”

“Should I walk you back to your room?” Otabek asked.

Yuri pointed to the door across the hall. “You did.”

“Oh. Then I guess I’ll-”

“Can I sleep in your room?” Yuri interrupted. “Yakov and Lillia are back together and they think they’re more discreet than they are.”

Otabek’s heart pounded. “Sure. I’m one floor up.”

He got to his feet and helped Yuri up. “We have to be quiet. I have a roommate this year and he’s probably asleep.”

“Oh,” Yuri said. Otabek thought he sounded a bit disappointed but he didn’t excuse himself. 

They went to Otabek’s floor and he opened the door quietly so as not to wake Kairat. The room was curiously silent. He turned on the light to find Kairat’s bed still made and a note on the pillow.

_ Otabek, I’m having a sleepover with Erich, the Austrian skater. I’m in room 826 if you need me! _

“I guess he’s not here,” Yuri remarked.

“I guess not,” Otabek said, trying to quell the butterflies in his stomach. They were alone. For the first time that night he had no excuse. They wouldn’t be interrupted, but there was also nowhere to escape if things went poorly. Was it really fair for him to spring this on Yuri now? Maybe it would be better to do it tomorrow over breakfast.

“Do you need a t-shirt or something to-” he trailed off as he turned around to see Yuri already stripping off his clothes, “sleep in?”

“I’ll be ok,” Yuri said, carefully laying his suit over the chair. 

Otabek turned around and quickly changed into his pajamas. He felt himself blush. Yuri was in his room stripped down to his briefs.

“My roommate won’t be back if you’d like to take the other bed.”

“Sure,” Yuri said. “I don’t think I can sleep yet though.”

Otabek nodded. “I know what you mean. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Sure.”

He got a couple bottles of water from the mini fridge and handed one to Yuri. He sat down on the bed. Yuri sat down on the end, folding his long toned legs in front of his slender hips. He tilted his head back to drink, stretching out his pale graceful throat. His long golden hair pooled on his shoulder. 

Otabek’s mouth was suddenly dry. He guzzled the water, accidentally inhaling a bit. He coughed and set the bottle aside.

“Are you ok?”

Otabek coughed again. “Yeah, fine.” 

Yuri flipped his hair off his shoulder. “So what were you trying to tell me before we were interrupted?”

“Uh,” Otabek looked away, rubbing his neck. What was he going to say? “I was going to ask if you wanted to come to Almaty when the season ends. There’s a huge outdoor ice rink that-”

Suddenly Yuri lunged forward, pressing his lips to Otabek’s. Otabek froze, too stunned to move. The kiss only lasted a moment, but when Yuri finally sat back Otabek felt like he had just finished his free skate.

“I love you,” Yuri declared. “And if that ruins our friendship then we’re not as close as I thought.”

Otabek reached out and took his hand. “I feel the same way. I’ve been trying to say that since we left the cafe.”

He kissed Yuri, softly at first but deeper as it started to sink in that Yuri liked him. Yuri melted into his arms, purring like a kitten. Otabek curled his fingers in that soft golden hair. 

Suddenly the kitten morphed into a tiger. Something snapped in Otabek. He had wanted to take things slow, but Yuri was like a storm, powerful and electric. For months he had been thinking of this, wondering how Yuri’s lips tasted. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to indulge that a little. He rolled over, pinning Yuri to the bed. Otabek leaned in and nipped at his neck. Yuri gasped in pleasure, leaning his head back. 

“Otabek!” he moaned.

“Beka. Call me Beka,” Otabek whispered. He gently bit at Yuri’s ear lobe.

“Beka!” Yuri moaned. He grabbed Otabek’s hips, grinding against him.

Suddenly the reality of the situation hit him. Yuri was in love with him. Yuri who he had been too scared to talk to for the last five days. Yuri who had been his best friend until two minutes ago. What was he now? Panicking, Otabek pushed him off. Yuri lost his balance and toppled off the bed.

“Oh shit, are you ok?”

Yuri sat up, rubbing his elbow. “What the fuck was that?”

“Sorry,” Otabek said. “It’s late, we should get some sleep.”

Yuri stared at him sharply. “Otabek, if you’re going to treat me like a kid this isn’t going to work.”

“It’s been a long night, I think we should go to bed and talk about this in the morning.”

“The age of consent in Russia and Kazakhstan is 16 if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

“That’s not it,” Otabek said. “Well that’s partly it, but I just think we’re rushing into this.”

Yuri looked at him, his mouth twisted in a petulant frown. “We’ve been dancing around this all night, don’t you think you’ve kept me waiting long enough?”

“We haven’t even talked about this,” Otabek said.

“You want to be my boyfriend, right?” Yuri asked, climbing back on the bed.

“Yes,” Otabek managed.

“Then you’re my boyfriend.” He put a hand on Otabek’s thigh. “So where were we.”

Otabek put a hand on his shoulder. “Can we just slow down a little.”

“You kept me waiting all night. How much slower can we go?”

“We don’t have to sleep together right away!”

Yuri raised an eyebrow. “You lost me.”

Otabek took his hand. Yuri was making it difficult to say no. “You know there’s more to a relationship than sex, right?”

“Sure,” Yuri muttered. “All that nauseating stuff that Viktor and Pork Cutlet do.”

Otabek raised an eyebrow. “I’m a little concerned that you think all that is nauseating.”

“Well just when they do it.” Yuri said. “But other than that it's no different from just being friends.”

“Yeah but we don’t have to do everything tonight!”

Yuri sat back, finally seeming to take the hint. Otabek reached out and took his hand.

“I’ve never had a real relationship and I don’t want to mess this up,” he confessed. “I don’t want this to just be some fling. I want to see if this can actually go somewhere.”

Yuri looked at him with a hesitant frown. He had matured, but he was still young. His feelings were real, but he was just thinking about their relationship now, not the future. 

“So what does that mean?”

“I don’t want to ruin this by rushing into something we’re not ready for,” Otabek explained. “I think we should wait a while to do anything serious.” 

Yuri frowned. “How long is a while?”

Otabek ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. A year?”

“A year?” Yuri collapsed on the bed with a groan. “You want me to wait a year?”

Otabek gently laid a hand on top of Yuri’s. “I want you to wait for me,” he said. “I don’t want our first time to be some spontaneous late night hook up. I haven’t even taken you on a proper date.”

Yuri blew his bangs out of his face. “Fine, we’ll wait.” 

Otabek kissed him. “Thank you.”

“Can I get that T-shirt? It’s freezing.”

Otabek went to get one from his suitcase. “We can still share the bed if you want.”

“Make up your mind,” Yuri grumbled, pulling the shirt over his head.

Otabek chuckled. “There is a middle ground between celibacy and sex.”

“You mean cuddling, right?” Yuri asked, sliding under the covers.

Otabek leaned in and kissed him. “Yes.”

He reached over and turned out the light. Before he could turn around, Yuri wrapped his long arms around Otabek’s waist.

“Wait, why am I the little spoon?”

“Because I’m taller,” Yuri muttered, nestling his head against Otabek’s shoulder.

A yawn stopped any further argument. It was too late to worry about something so trivial. He closed his eyes and snuggled into the embrace, quickly drifting off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Otabek awoke with his head on Yuri's chest. Yuri was sprawled across the bed snoring softly. Smiling, Otabek reached up and brushed a long piece of hair out of Yuri’s face. 

“Potya! Stop it!” Yuri mumbled, batting at Otabek’s hand.

“Guess again,” Otabek cooed, running his fingers through Yuri’s golden hair.

Yuri opened his eyes, squinting at Otabek. “Oh yeah, that’s right.”

“Good morning to you too.” 

“Did last night really happen?” Yuri asked. He stretched and rolled over to check his phone. 

Otabek reached for his and noticed a strange phone beside it. “Oh yeah, I have Viktor’s phone.”

“We can deal with it later,” Yuri muttered. With a sharp gasp, he sat straight up. “Oh shit, I forgot to tell Lillia where I was.” He tapped a quick reply.

Viktor’s phone buzzed and Yuuri’s picture popped up on the screen. Otabek waited for the call to end and opened the phone. He scrolled through the pictures. In the sober light of day, the prank didn’t seem like such a good idea. He was still irritated about their behavior last night but maybe they should just let it go and enjoy their last day together.

“I need some coffee. Let’s get breakfast.” 

Yuri rolled out of bed and put on his pants. “I need to change first and check in with Lillia and Yakov.”

“Should I walk you to your room?”

Yuri looked at him strangely for a moment. “If you want.” He shrugged, trying to act casual, but the blush on his cheeks gave him away. 

Otabek quickly put on some pants and followed Yuri to the elevator. It was only one floor down and Yuri would only be a few minutes, but he wanted to anyway. 

“What are we going to tell them?” Otabek asked as they waited for the elevator.

“The truth,” Yuri said with a sigh. “Lillia’s nosey and she’ll find out.” He reached over to take Otabek’s hand. “Besides, I don’t want to keep it a secret.”

Otabek squeezed Yuri’s hand as they stepped into the elevator. He hadn’t had a chance to think about that. He didn’t want to keep it a secret either, but he needed some time to wrap his head around everything. Gossip spread quickly in the skating world and once it was out, there was no going back.

The elevator doors opened and Yuri led him down the hall.

“Well this is me. I’ll meet you in the dining room in half an hour.” He leaned down for a quick kiss.

“There you are!” a shrill voice said from behind them. Yuri spun out of the kiss to face Lillia. “I’ve been texting you all morning. We were worried!”

“I was with Otabek.”

“I can see that,” Lillia said sharply. “Is your phone broken?”

“It was on silent. I was going to come back, but,” Yuri grimaced, “you and Yakov were in there.”

She sighed. “I suppose we should get you your own room from now on, but you still need to let me know where you are and who you’re with.” She gave Otabek an appraising look. “Go clean up, I need to talk to your boyfriend.”

Yuri squeezed Otabek’s hand and disappeared into the room. Otabek gulped as Lillia stared down her sharp nose at him. Why did all these Russians have to be so tall?

“So you’re dating our Yura?”

“Yes ma’am,” he managed.

She frowned. “I know he likes to act grown up but he’s still immature.”

“I know, and we’re taking things slow, but I really care for him.”

She nodded, considering carefully. “And you will treat him with respect.”

Otabek’s voice faltered for a moment. It was not a question, rather an order from a woman who was used to being obeyed. “Of course, ma’am.”

“Well, then I see no reason to stand in your way,” she said in a softer, almost motherly tone. Before he could react, she stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight hug. “I wish you luck.”

“Thank you ma’am.”

A muffled shout from the room interrupted the moment. Lillia released him and stepped back. 

“If you’ll excuse me.”

She hurried into the room. Otabek ran back to the elevator, his heart racing. Lillia seemed to approve, but he had no doubt she would turn on him in a second if things between him and Yuri soured. What had he gotten himself into? Dating Yuri meant he would also have to deal with the other Russians and their coaches. The Russian team had a strange dynamic and from what Yuri said they always seemed to be butting into each other’s business. There weren’t many other skaters from Kazakhstan, at least not at his level. He envied the sense of comradery the Russian team had, but it would take some getting used to.

He put that thought aside as the elevator doors opened. He had one day with Yuri before they left and wanted to make the most of it. He took a quick shower, shaved, and styled his hair, finishing things off with a light spritz of cologne. He changed into his best pair of jeans and put on a fresh shirt and his leather jacket. He slipped Viktor’s phone into his pocket. He still wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but it would be best to keep it with him for now. He checked his hair one last time and headed down. Yuri wasn’t in the lobby yet, so he settled onto a couch to wait.

“You’re still a teenager!” Yakov bellowed as the elevator doors opened. “You’re not leaving St. Petersburg until you retire.”

“For fuck sake we’ve been dating for 6 hours! I’m not Viktor!”

“Yakov, we need to go if we’re going to make our spa appointment,” Lillia cut in. 

Yakov huffed, clearly not done with the argument, but a pointed glare from Lillia silenced any further discussion. 

“We’ll finish this later,” he promised as Lillia dragged him away. 

Yuri slumped onto the couch beside Otabek. “My team is crazy.”

“Yeah, a little bit,” Otabek agreed. 

They went to the dining room. Otabek looked around for Viktor and Yuuri. He spotted them at a table off to the side. Viktor looked flawless as usual, but Yuuri looked tired. After last night they were almost certainly hung over, but Viktor was obviously better at hiding it.

“So are we actually going to do this?” Otabek asked.

Yuri shrugged. “It was your idea.”

“Maybe we should just give it back and enjoy the day.”

“We can decide after breakfast,” Yuri suggested. 

They went to the buffet. Otabek got a cup of coffee and Yuri grabbed a bottle of orange juice. As they neared the table they heard Yuuri groan.

“Please tell me I didn’t pole dance again.”

Yuuri yelped and sat up straight as Yuri touched the ice cold bottle to his neck. 

“Good, you’re alive.”

“Awww, Kitten, you do care!” Viktor teased.

Yuri scoffed. “Neither of you gets to die or retire until I beat you again!”

Viktor looked at Otabek with a salacious grin. “No promises, but I’m sure Otabek would console you.”

Otabek sipped his coffee to hide a blush. Did Viktor know already? Maybe he hadn’t been as drunk as he seemed. 

Yuri just glared at him. “How are you not hungover?” 

“I’ll tell you when you’re old enough to drink,” Viktor teased.

“One year, two months and 22 days!” Yuri snarled.

Otabek took a seat on the other side of Mila and Sara. Yuri slumped down opposite him and ripped the cap off his orange juice.

“I see you two made up,” Mila teased.

“It was a misunderstanding,” Yuri muttered. 

“Good!” she cooed, pinching his cheek. She turned to Otabek. “Our little Kitten was worried!” 

“I’m not little anymore, Old Hag!” Yuri snapped. “I’m as tall as piggy and I’m still growing.” He leaned back in his chair, letting his head fall back to expose his long graceful throat. Otabek cringed as all eyes turned to the large purple mark.

“Is that a hickey?” Mila asked.

Yuri slumped forward and zipped up his hoodie. Otabek looked away. If they hadn’t known before, they did now.

“Looks like they did a little more than make up,” Viktor teased.

“It’s not like that!” Otabek insisted quickly.

“We just made out,” Yuri grumbled. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Congratulations!” Yuuri said. “I’m so glad you two got together!”

Viktor took Yuuri’s hand and kissed it. “Our little Yurio is growing up, darling.”

Yuri stood up with an aggravated yell and stalked off to the buffet. Otabek stood up to follow.

“I need some more coffee.” He hurried over to the buffet where Yuri was piling food on his plate. “Let’s do it.”

“You sure?” Yuri asked.

Otabek nodded. He had been prepared to forgive last night’s drunken antics, but Viktor was just as shameless in the sober light of day. Someone needed to teach him a lesson. He set his cup down and pressed the button for a macchiato. 

“This will take a minute. You go back and I’ll send the text.”

Yuri sipped his juice, grinning menacingly. “Get ready to suffer Nikiforov.”

* * *

Yuuri smacked Viktor in the arm. “So this is your fault.”

“The sex tape was your idea,” Viktor countered.

Yuuri frowned. “Have you even apologized?”

“Yes! Yakov made me email the ISU-”

“To them!” Yuuri snapped, pointing emphatically at Yuri and Otabek.

“No, he hasn’t,” Yuri said flatly.

Viktor shrugged. “Well I was going to.”

“We’re sitting right here,” Otabek said.

“Sorry!” Viktor said with a wide smile. “But after what you did, I’d say we’re even.”

“That’s the point!” Yuri snapped. “Are you even listening?”

“That was the worst apology I’ve ever heard,” Yuuri muttered. “So what happened next?”

* * *

Yuri chuckled as they headed back to his room. “That worked out better than I thought! Can’t believe Sara suggested that Swiss perv. It was too perfect!”

“So I talked to my friend at the club and he’s setting everything up,” Otabek told him. “Should we follow them?”

“No need.” Yuri opened an app on Viktor’s phone. “Last year when Pork Cutlet moved to St. Petersburg he got lost on the Metro because he doesn’t speak Russian, so Viktor put a tracking app on his phone. They got in a big fight because Pork Cutlet thought it was a dumb idea so they never actually used it. I’d bet he’s forgotten all about it.”

“You think Viktor really forgot he has a tracking app on his phone?” Otabek asked skeptically.

“Yes, he’s an airhead,” Yuri declared confidently. “And after last night, I’m surprised they remember their own names.”

“Ok, fair point,” Otabek conceded. “I guess that gives us a few hours to kill then. What should we do?”

* * *

Yuuri groaned. “The whole time we could have tracked the phone?”

Yuri smirked. “Told you they didn’t remember.”

“I told you it was a good idea.” Viktor muttered.

“So you just followed us around all day?” Yuuri asked.

Yuri rolled his eyes. “Get over yourselves. We went to a cafe.”

* * *

Otabek sat down in a cozy booth. Yuri sat beside him. He felt a flutter in his stomach as Yuri’s thigh bumped against his. The electricity between them was still there as strong as ever. He was suddenly at a loss for words again. Yuri tapped his fingers on the table before draping an arm over the booth behind Otabek’s shoulders.

“Is this weird?” Yuri asked.

“No, it’s just a little surreal.”

“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” Yuri asked.

“No,” Otabek assured him. “Not at all.”

Yuri brushed a finger up the side of Otabek’s neck. “And you’re really going to make me wait?”

“Yes,” Otabek said firmly, “but it won’t be easy.”

Yuri kissed him. Otabek closed his eyes and let himself melt into it. Yuri’s lips were dry and chapped, but that didn’t make the kiss any less exhilarating. 

The waiter cleared his throat.

“Bonjour,” Otabek said, taking a quick look at the menu. “Deux café au lait, s'il vous plaît.”

The waiter nodded and went to put in the order. Yuri checked the tracking app on Viktor’s phone.

“So they’re still at the church but we can lead them this way.”

“While we’re waiting, we should talk about some things,” Otabek said. 

“Are you a virgin?” Yuri asked suddenly.

Otabek froze. “Huh?” 

“I thought that might be why you didn’t want to sleep with me,” Yuri explained.

Otabek fumbled for an answer. The waiter returned with their coffee, buying him a few precious seconds. What was he going to say? 

“So is that it?” Yuri asked again when the waiter had left. “You’re nervous because you’re a virgin.”

Otabek set down his cup. “Since you asked, no, I’m not.” 

“How come you never told me about that?”

“It never came up. It was a while ago before we were friends,” Otabek told him. “There was a girl I knew at my rink. We went out a few times and after the banquet at Four Continents we slept together. It was after that I started to realize that I wasn’t interested in girls. I broke it off and told her that I still wanted to be friends but things got awkward between us after that. She changed coaches and moved to another rink. I haven’t talked to her since.”

“Oh, I see.” Yuri muttered. 

Otabek put a hand on Yuri’s arm. “Sex changes things and I don’t want to lose you as a friend if this doesn’t work out.”

“How old were you?”

“Sixteen,” Otabek told him. “I was ready, but it was just the wrong person. I told myself that next time I’d make sure it was the right person first.”

Yuri frowned, idly stirring his coffee. “Are you worried I’m not serious because I lost my virginity to that Japanese guy this summer?” 

“It worries me that you didn’t know his name,” Otabek reminded him. “You just called him ‘Pork Cutlet’s fanboy’.”

“I know his name,” Yuri said.

“Tell me and we can forget this and go back to the hotel,” Otabek challenged.

Yuri thought for a moment. “Ugh, fine. I guess I do still need to take you on a date first anyway.”

Otabek sipped his coffee. “Or I can take you on a date.”

“I said I liked you first.” 

“Only because I kept getting interrupted!” Otabek argued. “I’d been planning it for weeks.”

“Well,” Yuri fumbled. “I’m taller!” 

“I’m older!”

“I suggested it!”

Otabek took a long sip of his coffee. None of this was going the way he had pictured it. He had just assumed that he would be taking the lead on things, but he should have anticipated Yuri being more assertive.

Yuri lapsed into silence, sipping his coffee. He opened Viktor’s phone to check the tracking app. “They’re getting close. We should probably head out soon.”

“Ok, let me get the check.” Otabek raised his hand to call the waiter.

“Or I could get it,” Yuri said.

Otabek hesitated for a moment. It was a small tab, not worth fighting over, but he wasn’t ready to give in. They needed to settle this, but there was no time right now. 

“Let’s just pay for ourselves until we work this out.”

“Ok,” Yuri agreed reluctantly.

They called the waiter over and paid. Yuri scrolled through Viktor’s photos as they finished their coffee.

“Do you think we can convince them to go to that crepe place?” he asked. “That’ll probably be around lunch time.” 

“Worth a shot, I can buy you a crepe,” Otabek teased. 

“Or I can buy you one.” Yuri swiped through the camera roll, stopping on a set of photos from the crepe restaurant. “Most of the crepe pics are the sort of thing Viktor posts anyway. We could put a few of them on Instagram to show we’re serious.”

Otabek leaned over to look at one of the pictures. “What is Yuuri licking off Viktor’s chest?”

Yuri grimaced. “God, I hope that’s cheese.”

* * *

“I think it was actually a cream sauce,” Viktor said.

“That’s worse,” Yuri snarled.

Yuuri’s face turned bright red. “So is that why you were asking about dating yesterday at lunch?”

Otabek nodded. “We still haven’t been on an actual date.”

* * *

Otabek listened to Viktor and Yuuri discussing their wedding. The discussion seem almost effortless. They disagreed on a few points but managed to compromise without much effort. He and Yuri couldn’t even agree on who was paying the check. He looked at Viktor and Yuuri. How had they tackled that hurdle?

“Can I ask you two a question?” 

“Sure,” Yuuri said.

“When you two go on a date, who pays?”

Viktor shrugged. “Honestly I never really think about it. It usually evens out.”

“No, you usually pay,” Yuuri contradicted him. “You have more money.”

“Oh, I guess you’re right,” Viktor said, “but you get coffee all the time, and you cook.”

“That’s because your cooking usually turns to charcoal,” Yuuri teased, “but you always clean up.”

“And you do the laundry and you always bring home flowers when-”

“That wasn’t an answer,” Yuri cut in with an exasperated cry.

Yuuri smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry so much about who’s paying for what. It usually works itself out. The important thing is that you get to be together.”

Otabek felt a brief twinge of guilt. Yuuri was actually a kind and supportive person when he was sober. Still, he could only muster so much sympathy for them after last night.

The food arrived, providing a convenient distraction from his doubts. As they ate, Otabek tried to think of a way to lure them to the club without giving themselves away. One of them would need to slip off and send a photo, but even in their hungover haze, Yuuri and Viktor might find the timing suspicious. Still, they had to risk it. 

Just as he was about to excuse himself, Phichit Chulanont and Leo de la Iglesia came into the restaurant. Yuri went to the restroom while Yuuri and Phichit compared notes.

“Do you know what we did last night after we left here?” Yuuri asked.

Phichit took out his phone and scrolled through a few messages. “I got a text from you later about some club but you didn’t say where.”

Otabek fought to keep his face neutral. Phichit had just handed him the perfect cover.

_ Hey Phichit! Come our dancign wiht us!  _

_ Thi sclub is grwat! _

_ PHicit! Tehy gave us freee drinkens! _

“What kind of club would let us in in our underwear?” Viktor asked.

“Let me check a couple of places,” Otabek offered. He stepped outside and sent a quick message to Yuri to let him know what was happening, then called the club manager. 

“It’s Otabek, is everything ready?”

“Just waiting for you.”

Otabek glanced back at Viktor and Yuuri. “We’ll be by in about 20 minutes. Thanks again for doing this, I owe you.”

“My pleasure!” the manager said. “Just remember those backstage passes to Worlds.”

* * *

Viktor looked at Otabek with an amused smile. “I’m actually impressed that you planned that. I never had you down as the devious type.”

“I’m not,” Otabek said.

“But he can be,” Yuri added quickly. “Remember that next time you decide to get wasted and make us babysit you.”

“So what did you two do after the club?” Yuuri asked before Viktor could respond. “Did you ever sort out the problem of who’s paying for your date?”

“Yeah, me,” Yuri said.

Otabek smacked Yuri lightly on the arm. “We did, but then we ran into another problem.”

* * *

Yuri held tight to Otabek’s hand as they hurried away from Viktor and Yuuri. They had laid the groundwork for the endgame, now they just had to wait. Yuuri and Viktor would eventually give up and head back to the hotel. They might find Chris before that, but he was confident they wouldn’t figure out the truth. Otabek wanted to spend some time with Yuri alone anyway. They still had a lot to talk about and their time together was dwindling.

“What do you want to do now?” Yuri asked. “It’s too cold to walk around.”

Otabek looked at the shops on the street. A display of hair clips in one caught his eye. 

“Can we go in here for a minute? I still need a gift for my sister.”

“The one who’s always blasting the music in the other room or the annoying one who makes faces behind you when we FaceTime?”

Otabek laughed. “The faces. I’ll introduce you properly when you visit.”

They went in and walked around the store, carefully looking at the displays. He didn’t always buy souvenirs but Ayana was obsessed with France right now and had pleaded for him to bring her something.

Yuri leaned in to look at the display, picking out a silver clip with a monkey. “Here, give this to Funny Face.”

Otabek smiled. “Lucky guess. She loves monkeys.”

Yuri idly spun a display. “So I guess I have to meet your parents sometime.”

“We should probably go on a date before we do that,” Otabek reminded him, scanning the displays on the counter.

“So? Who’s paying?”

Otabek thought as he slowly turned a display of earrings. “Flip a coin?”

Yuri shrugged and fished a Euro out of his pocket. “Heads or tails?”

“Tails.”

The coin landed on heads. Yuri grinned triumphantly.

“Ok I win. I pay this time.”

“What about next time?” Otabek asked. “We can’t flip a coin every time.” 

“Do you have a better idea?”

Otabek thought for a minute. Choosing randomly was going to get old quickly and probably result in another argument. They needed a more sustainable arrangement. 

“How about this. At competitions we just pay for ourselves, but if you visit I’ll pay and same when you visit me.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Yuri agreed. “But I won the coin toss so I pay for the first date!”

“Then you had better figure out where you’re taking me tonight,” Otabek said. He turned back to the display. His eye fell on a golden hair clip in the shape of a tiger. “What about gifts?”

“We’re not taking turns on that!” Yuri said. 

“So if I see something I think you’d like, I can just buy it.” Otabek clarified.

“That’s what I was planning to do.” 

“Good,” Otabek said. He plucked the clip off the display.

“Oh we’re starting now?” Yuri asked.

“Why not?” 

“But I don’t have anything for-”

Otabek cut him off with a kiss. “You just said we weren’t going to argue about that.”

He paid for the clips and they left the shop. Otabek stopped outside the door and took the clip out of the bag. He twisted a section of Yuri’s hair back and secured it with the clip. 

Yuri looked at his reflection in the window, tracing his fingers over the clip. “So I guess we’re official.”

“You still have to take me on that date tonight,” Otabek teased, “but yes, you are my boyfriend.”

“Can we post that on Instagram?”

Otabek bit his lip. He didn’t really like social media. He posted occasionally, but mostly about skating or music. He rarely posted anything personal, but Yuri did. He also had hordes of obsessive fans. How would they react? 

“Let’s get out of this cold weather first. I think I saw a cafe.”

Yuri followed him down the street to the cafe. They sat down and ordered a cup of tea.

“So?” Yuri asked. “Can we post something?”

“Can I think about it?” Otabek asked.

“What is there to think about?” Yuri asked. “You’re my boyfriend.”

“We haven’t even been together a full day.” Otabek explained. “I don’t see why we have to do it right now.”

“We aren’t going to see each other for three months,” Yuri said. “What about Nationals and Europeans and Four Continents? What if someone starts hitting on one of us at the banquet?”

“Just tell them no.” The tea arrived. Otabek took a breath and continued. “I just think it would be better if we waited a little longer.”

“Why?”

Otabek sighed. “Can we argue about this later? I don’t want to waste the rest of our time fighting.”

“Fine,” Yuri grumbled. He took out Viktor’s phone and scrolled through the camera roll. 

Otabek sipped his tea. He was thrilled that Yuri was his boyfriend, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to handle the pressure of going public. He didn’t like being the subject of gossip, and the news that they were dating would cause a sensation. He didn’t want to hide it, but he also didn’t want to put unnecessary pressure on their fledgling romance. A long distance relationship would be challenging enough without a media frenzy.

He glanced around the cafe and spotted Mila and Sara entering. Mila waived and dragged Sara over to their table. She reached out to hug Yuri, but froze. 

“Is that Viktor’s phone?” she cried in surprise.

Yuri shoved the phone in his pocket but it was too late. Mila and Sarah sat at the table beside them.

“So you took it?” Mila asked.

“Technically they gave it to us,” Otabek said.

“They’ve been going crazy looking for it!” Mila chided. “Yuuri’s about to lose it.”

“They had it coming,” Yuri snarled.

“That’s really mean though!” Sara chastised them. “What could they possibly have done to deserve being tormented for a whole day?”

“They were drunk on champagne,” Yuri said.

“Oh, that sounds good!” Mila called the waiter and ordered a bottle of champagne for her and Sara. “Alright, now tell us everything.”

* * *

Mila looked at Viktor. “If we knew it was going to go sideways, we would have said something, but honestly you did have it coming.”

Viktor scowled at her. “I don’t think anyone deserves to get screamed at by Yakov for 6 hours straight.”

“No, but you came pretty close,” Mila retorted. “Making Yuri babysit you. Aren’t you a little old to be acting like that?”

“So did you ever settle the whole social media issue?” Yuuri asked before Viktor could reply.

“Well our discussion was derailed,” Otabek admitted. 

Yuri rolled his eyes. “Yeah, by Mila’s psycho Italian girlfriend.”

* * *

“I think they’ve learned their lesson,” Sara said when Otabek had finished. “Yuuri is a wreck and even Viktor is starting to feel guilty.”

“We’re almost done,” Otabek told her. “We’re heading back to the hotel soon to confront them.”

Mila looked at Yuri as she refilled her champagne. “Yakov is going to make you do drills until your blades fall off.”

“Only if he finds out,” Yuri said threateningly.

“So is this all you’ve been doing today?” Sara asked.

Yuri blew a strand of hair out of his face. “What’s it to you?”

“Just seems like a sad way to spend your first day as a couple. Did you at least do something romantic?”

“We’re going on a date tonight,” Otabek told her.

“Why don’t you just count this as a date?” Mila asked.

“Because we were arguing about who’s going to pay,” Yuri grumbled. “I won.”

Mila sipped her champagne. “Is that what you were arguing about before we came in?”

“No,” Otabek told her. “We were discussing our dinner plans.”

Mila glanced suspiciously at Yuri. She split the remaining champagne between herself and Sara and called for another bottle.

“Hey, Otabek, what’s your Instagram?” she asked.

Otabek frowned. “Why?”

“Well now that you’re dating Yuri I want to comment on all the cute couples pictures!”

“Just fucking block her,” Yuri muttered.

“I don’t really post a lot,” Otabek said. “And we aren’t ready to go public anyway.”

“You said you weren’t going to bring that up,” Sara said between clenched teeth.

Mila ignored her, nonchalantly sipping her champagne. “So when were you planning to announce that you’re off the market?” she asked Yuri. “You probably want to give your fans time to grieve before Nationals.”

“We’ll post a picture after dinner!”

“We can take one at dinner but I want to tell my parents first,” Otabek cut in.

“Ah! See?” Sara said. “I’m not the only one!”

“Just tell your crazy brother about us already,” Mila shouted. 

“I’m working on it!”

“Does he even know you’re a lesbian?”

“Wait, you two aren’t public?” Yuri asked.

“You know how he is,” Sara explained. “I just have to find the right time.”

“You’ve had three months!” Mila exclaimed. “I’m sure Otabek wasn’t planning to wait that long.”

“Why are you dragging us into this?” Yuri demanded. 

“I didn’t want to upset him during the season!”

“Well, the Grand Prix is over. Let’s go find him,” Mila suggested.

Sara stood up, almost knocking over the small table. “I told you I’ll do it when I’m ready!”

“Get ready!” Mila cried.

“Stop pushing me!” The waiter arrived with the champagne. Sara grabbed the bottle and ripped out the cork. She up-ended it over Mila’s head.

Yuri grabbed Otabek’s hand and ran out of the cafe while the two were still arguing. They hurried around the corner and hailed a cab.

“Why are all my teammates insane!” Yuri moaned. “That’s not going to be us at Worlds, is it?”

“I promise I won’t dump champagne on your head!” Otabek said. “But can we please wait to say anything on social media?”

“If that’s the alternative then ok.” Yuri took Otabek’s hand. “You’re my boyfriend, and I want to tell everyone. Not because I want those stupid girls to leave me alone, but because I’m really happy and it’s hard to keep it to myself.”

Otabek gave him a soft kiss. “I understand that the social media thing is important to you, but all of this happened so fast. I want to show you off too, but I just need a minute to take it in.” Otabek stroked Yuri’s cheek. “I want you all to myself for a bit.”

“That’s pretty fucking romantic actually,” Yuri said. He gave Otabek a quick kiss. “We can talk about it tomorrow over breakfast and figure something out.”

* * *

“But we never got a chance,” Yuri said.

“And you know the rest,” Otabek finished. 

“Again, I am so sorry,” Yuuri said, bowing deeply.

“We forgive you,” Otabek said.

“We?” Yuri asked. Otabek nudged him. Yuri sighed. “Well, it worked out, so I guess we’re even.” 

“Wait, what happened to you and Sara?” Viktor asked.

Mila turned a shade of red almost as bright as her hair.

“We made up,” she mumbled. “And then we got caught having sex on a park bench.”

“Is that why Lillia was yelling at you this morning?”

She nodded. “Fortunately it didn’t make the news, and Michele found out of course so that’s over with. We’ll post something next week. Lillia wanted to let your thing blow over first.”

“Attention passengers on flight 876 for Munich. We will begin boarding in just a few minutes.”

“That’s us!” Viktor announced. He rushed the others away leaving them alone as much as the airport would allow.

“You know we never got that date,” Otabek said. 

Yuri kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll take you out for Italian at Worlds.”

It suddenly hit Otabek that he wouldn’t see Yuri for another three months. He threw his arms around Yuri’s neck, pulling him into a deep, longing kiss.

A camera clicked from across the waiting area. They looked over to see Viktor smirking. 

“Post that and you’re dead!” Yuri cried. 

Otabek felt his phone buzz. An airdrop notification popped up with the picture.

“Your move Casanova,” Viktor called as he and Yuuri headed down the gangway. 

“You don’t have to,” Yuri said. “I know you want to tell your parents first.”

Otabek looked at the photo. He hadn’t seen himself look so happy in years. He finally understood Yuri’s desire to share this. He opened up Instagram and selected the picture. He typed a quick caption, added some hashtags and pressed submit.

“I told them last night,” he said. “I called to tell them about the photo scandal and it just slipped out.”

Yuri cringed. 

“It’s ok, they thought it was funny. They’re excited to meet you. They told me to invite you to Kazakhstan after the season.”

“Yura! Time to go!” Yakov barked. 

Yuri kissed Otabek quickly. “I can’t wait to read all the comments when I get off the plane.”

Otabek waved, watching until Yuri disappeared down the gangway. It would be a long three months, but it was worth the wait.

  
  



End file.
